Nadra to issue arms licenses from December 15

ISLAMABAD: National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) will commence issuing arms licenses from December 15 and all necessary arrangements have been completed in a transparent manner, said Tariq Malik, Deputy Chairman Nadra here on Tuesday. It will be a pilot project in which arms licenses would be issued to people recommended by Parliamentarians, Tariq Malik said while talking to Business Recorder.

“We will make the Parliamentarians accountable and their digital signatures would be taken to avoid any misuse of the facility,” Malik said, adding that Nadra’s database will ensure a transparent mechanism in the granting of arms licenses. “We have made all arrangements to start the operation. We have purchased the necessary equipment and developed an biometric software to entertain the applications of people seeking arms licenses,” he said adding that the bio-metric software was developed in a way to ensure that no one can replicate this card.

This will help maintain law and order in the country and bring the crime rate down, Malik maintained. He revealed that the card will be traceable with several security features and will assist the Government and law enforcement agencies to keep a check on illegal arms and chase the person with the legitimate arms license when deemed necessary.

He said that the present arms license system has many loopholes and one cannot identify whether the name on the license is a real person or not. To a question regarding the processing fees of the arms licenses, Tariq Malik said that this is not a necessity but a luxury and processing fees will be higher than the present fee structure. “It is a luxury and one who wants to avail this luxury should have to invest,” Malik opined.

He said that Nadra has invested a huge amount for the purchase of equipment and development of software, which will be paid for by those desiring arms licenses. Nadra Deputy Chief said that on December 15, first center will be opened at G-10 sector of Islamabad, which will be pilot project and later one center would be opened at every Nadra provincial headquarter. “We do not want to set up a large number of offices to over-burden the Nadra the system and people who want licenses must travel to obtain this facility,” he added.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:11/24/2010